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Another inside job by Rockies' Barnes

Home run sparks road victory against Giants

SAN FRANCISCO — — Brandon Barnes doesn't carry a power-hitting reputation. He has only two home runs this year. He's a grinder, a mucker — always mussing and messing and getting dirty.

But as Barnes continues to prove, you don't need pop to hit a home run.

Barnes hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run in the top of the ninth inning Saturday, lifting the Rockies to a 5-4 victory over the division-leading Giants at AT&T Park.

It was Barnes' second home run this season that didn't clear the outfield wall.

"I'd really like to hit one out so I can just jog. I'm always making it hard on myself," Barnes said. "That's just the way I play — I hit the ball and I'm going to run hard until somebody stops me."

After Charlie Blackmon singled with two out in the ninth inning, Barnes hit a long, tailing line drive to right-center, just out of center fielder Angel Pagan's reach. The ball got to the wall as Barnes rounded second base. Pagan's relay throw came in as Barnes rounded third. And his headfirst slide went under catcher Buster Posey's reach at the plate.

"It was a very aggressive play. Barnsey has the tendency to be in the middle of things — dust flying and all that," said Rockies manager Walt Weiss. "He's been a real clutch player for us."

Rex Brothers, who earned the victory in relief for the Rockies, pitched an immaculate inning in the eighth. He threw nine pitches for nine strikes, just the 76th time in baseball history that happened.

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"I didn't really think about it until I came off the field. I started thinking about the inning and thought, 'Well, that went well,' " Brothers said. "Seems like it's always a battle against (the Giants), whether it's here or there."

For the second consecutive game, the Rockies rallied to win against Giants closer Sergio Romo, who was 10-for-10 in save opportunities this season at home before this series.

After the Rockies knocked him around for five runs in the ninth inning Friday in a come-from-behind 7-4 win, the Rockies seemed stonewalled Saturday when Romo got DJ LeMahieu to ground out, then got pinch-hitting Troy Tulowitzki to pop up to center field.

But Blackmon singled to left, and Barnes stepped up to win it. He became the first Rockies player with two inside-the-park home runs in the same season. Ellis Burks and Clint Barmes each had two in their Colorado careers.

"I was just trying to keep going, to be honest" Barnes said. "My legs were getting a little heavy going around third, but I kept trying to grind it out and get home."

The Rockies enacted some revenge. Pagan hit a walk-off, inside-the-park homer to beat Colorado here one year ago, on May 25.

"We always talk about the games here and how crazy they are. It usually comes down to millimeters and milliseconds," Weiss said. "And that was another one today."

Christian Bergman, in just his second big-league start, pitched six veteran-looking innings for the Rockies, giving up eight hits and three earned runs. He had three strikeouts against no walks.

New coordinator pushes Buffs to work, play at level he expectsJim Leavitt has discovered this much about his new defense at Colorado: He has some talent with which to work, but his players need to put it in another gear. Full Story

New coordinator pushes Buffs to work, play at level he expectsJim Leavitt has discovered this much about his new defense at Colorado: He has some talent with which to work, but his players need to put it in another gear. Full Story